Working on book 6 in the Allison Parker Mystery Series has been challenging. Six different plot lines, several new characters, and then the completely separate call to work with pastels!!! Fingers crossed the Muse will pick up the pace and I can get book 6 titled and finished by the end of the year.

As with all of my work, I never know which character is going to talk to me the most, and I certainly never know about a new character until he or she comes alive on the page. In book 6, as yet untitled, several new characters have made their way from the Cosmos through my fingers to my computer. There’s Carson Parrish, 60’ish, unhappy in her marriage and hating the place her husband has moved them to; there’s J.T. Bagwell, master criminal who is incarcerated with Rice at Kilby and planning a prison escape. Then there’s Teresa Newman, Bagwell’s sister and an informant - Bagwell cuts a deal with Allison to save his sister in return for giving Rice protection in prison. We’ve got a disgruntled prison guard, a new assistant for Sheriff Trowbridge (this one will be a big surprise), and more international intrigue that tests Wolf’s pledge to Allison to stay out of the killing business. For all I know, there will be more characters - I’m only 25,000 words into the tale!

So, bear with me. This book is taking a very long time to be birthed, but I’m sure it will eventually happen. In the meantime, if you haven’t read the first five books, this is a great time to do so. You’ll be more than ready for book 6 when it hits the shelves.